Trapped
Trapped The Trapped were a group of things that were once people, transformed by magic into mechanical creatures. With the death of magic in the 12th century, the Trapped ceased to function and still remain, motionless, in the caves they once inhabited. It is unknown whether the Trapped are dead or simply frozen. Due to the possibility that they may still be "alive", public access to these caves is strictly prohibited. The Trapped were humanoids predominantly made of glass, with dull steel joints and a visible internal clockwork mechanism that was powered by magic. This glass is extremely resistant to damage. They had no faces, but distinguished themselves by wearing painted masks not unlike Venetian masks. In fact, the only physical sign of any individuality was the body shape, which gave away whether the Trapped was a male or a female when they still had a body made of flesh. The Trapped originated in the Age of Titans, close to or during the Annihilation in 1500BC. Most sources say that they adopted their new bodies and hid in a series of caves along the Osdarthian Mountains in Estemoria as a last-ditch effort to survive the apocalyptic war between the Titans, but rapidly found that they lost much of their emotion and empathy. The majority of them were exceedingly depressed and many attempted suicide, but their bodies were simply too resistant to be destroyed. Some became insane and went on violent rampages, but most resigned themselves to isolation in the caves, rarely interacting with outsiders. Their new bodies were very hard to destroy and did not fail from old age, which only made them more despondent as time went on, combined with the fact that they did not have to sleep and were incapable of it, forcing them to experience every single minute. Despite not possessing eyes, ears or mouths, the Trapped could see, hear and speak, although it was noted that when they spoke they sounded totally different from their old self, in a melodic but somewhat grating voice. Many Trapped did not speak unless they had to, as they hated speaking in such an alien voice. They also hated the fact that their hearing was so acute they could hear the cogs that powered them ticking, and also that despite being able to see perfectly in darkness they were unable to shut their eyes. Although the exact process of how it happened is unknown, the Trapped could convert others into being Trapped by transforming their body. Over the centuries, the numbers of Trapped approximately quadrupled this way. Although there is no evidence to say that other species were incapable of being Trapped, all the Trapped were Humans before being transformed. There were few outlets for the Trapped to relieve themselves of their crushing boredom. Some became soldiers, often hoping to die in combat, which rarely happened. Many became artists, using their centuries of "life" to perfect their art, producing many masterpieces which are now kept in museums across the Empire. Although some are more traditional paintings, many are more abstract or surreal pieces that illustrate the mourning of the Trapped for their old life and the miserable reality of their painful existence.